Hands

The late John Napier was a physician specializing in hands, and was also a professor and writer on primates and evolution. Russell H. Tuttle is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Chicago.

"Maybe Newton was right about the thumb [that it was evidence of God's existence], but there is far more to arouse wonder in the hand than he knew, and Dr. Napier indicates its scope with authority and imagination."--The New York Times Book Review "Each fascinating chapter in this book is a conjured mixture of anecdote, entertainment, and instruction."--Annals of Human Biology "[John Napier's] book is deliberately 'not too technical,' light and full of wit... Fingerprints, gestures, nerves, bone, hand hair--all are given attention ... in this interesting survey."--Scientific American "Each fascinating chapter in this book is a conjured mixture of anecdote, entertainment, and instruction."--Annals of Human Biology

• List of Illustrations and FiguresForewordAcknowledgmentsPt. 1Nature and Evolution of the HandCh. 1"You Need Hands..."3Ch. 2Structure of the Hand13Ch. 3Function of the Hand55Ch. 4Evolution of the Hand73Pt. 2Social and Cultural Aspects of the HandCh. 5Tool-Using and Tool-Making97Ch. 6Handedness121Ch. 7Fingerprints131Ch. 8Gestures143Suggested Reading and References159Index169